Future of LNG: Market, Geopolitical and Innovation Trends to 2034
Andrew Pickford, Adjunct Research Fellow, Energy and Minerals Institute, University of Western Australia, +61 8 6488 4266,
andrew.pickford@uwa.edu.au
Mark Stickells, Director, Energy and Minerals Institute, University of Western Australia, +61 8 6488 4266,
mark.stickells@uwa.edu.au
Overview
In 2034, the commercial LNG industry will celebrate its 75th anniversary. At this milestone there will be a very
different industry when compared to 2015. Change, evolution and disruption is a familiar phenomenon for those
who have been part of earlier growth phases. From the journey of the world’s first LNG tanker The Methane
Pioneer in January 1959, to 237-million tonnes of LNG being transported in 2013, there has been considerable
expansion over the past half century. In the future, it is quite probably (although by no means certain) that volumes
of LNG will be greater still. However, forecasting LNG demand is a challenging undertaking. When creating
models, economists rely on assumptions which can be based on linear forecasts. This approach has its limitations,
especially as disruptive events can make forecasts redundant in a very short time. While a quantitative approach is
required for data analysis, a better qualitative process to determine parameters and boundary setting inputs for
models is needed. To develop a more complete planning framework the future we utilise the original scenario tools
Herman Kahn developed and that were popularised through Pierre Wack at Royal Dutch Shell. Utilising a more
expansive concept of scenarios than currently practised, we construct a matrix which considers futures based on the
intersection between innovation, geopolitics and market structure as three inter-linked macro-trends. The results
provide a basis to forecast the potential state of the LNG industry in 2034.
Context
While economics is often referred to as the “dismal science”, strategic analysis or forecasting is often thought of as
the intersection of the dark arts and guesswork. Neither critique is accurate; empirical evidence, grounded
assumptions and observations are features of both economic modelling and scenario planning. Nevertheless,
concerns can be raised over the perception of the future and the robustness of underlying models. When considering
the future of the LNG industry, it is important to contextualise the contemporary industry structure and its outlook:
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Changing Perception of Gas: From a problematic waste by-product to the current dash for gas and its role
as a potential transition fuel to a lower carbon future, the shifting perception of gas has been bound by
technical innovation, geopolitics and market structure. Any long-term forecasting attempts to take these
transitions into account. For future scenarios this is especially important as gas remains a fossil fuel and the
international role of fossil fuels is expected to continue to radically evolve over the coming decades as lowcarbon and renewable technologies compete at greater scale.
Forecasting Gas Trends in Practice: The difficulties in forecasts related to the energy or gas are evident
by reviewing earlier reports that fail to reach the forecast peaks in supply or demand. From the rapid
expansion of shale gas, to evolution of demand patterns through changes in regional economic activity, and
disasters such as Fukishima, there will always be technical innovation, geopolitics and market structure
developments which surprise forecasters. Strategic analysts refer to “surprises” as disruptive trends, turning
points or “black swans”.
Long Time Frame of LNG Projects: From initial discovery in 1973 to an expected first shipment of gas
in 2016, Chevron’s Gorgon Project, the largest single-resource development in Australia’s history, took
over 40 years. While the Western Australian Government provided in-principle approval for the Gorgon
Project’s onshore gas plant to be based at Barrow Island in 2003, the changes in technical innovation,
geopolitics and market structure between 2003-2016 has been profound.
Methods
The current practice creating scenarios for strategic planning draws work in the 1950s on nuclear strategy Herman
Kahn for the U.S. Air Force at the RAND Corporation. While successfully adapted and utilised by Royal Dutch
Shell in the 1970s at the height of the OPEC crisis and a period of global disruption, the use of scenarios in the oil
and gas industry in 2015 is less prevalent and has shifted away from Herman Kahn’s original approach. This paper
proposes to revisit the Kahn’s methods and more expansive understanding of the future. This includes: looking at a
much longer term horizon (decades rather than a 3-5 year window) and considering an optimistic, but realistic future
which is not bound by contemporary, conventional thinking. Drawing on this expanded scenario framework we
consider markets; geopolitics; and innovation in 2034 based on the impact of a series of peaks; in global population;
oil demand; and carbon emissions occurring in 2050. From this process, in a matrix, we capture qualitative analysis
and commentary on these potential futures and consider the implications. While this necessarily involves a limited
and speculative set of data points, the insights and scenarios are tested through informal and unstructured
discussions with academic researchers, industry insiders, consultants, government officials and security specialists in
order to provide confidence in the observations.
Results
The results from our scenario process shows that the LNG industry may be radically different by 2034. In the extreme,
this could entail much higher level of demand due to being a transition fuel for an extended period. Conversely, if
carbon emissions are thought to peak in 2050, this does not preclude a substantial ramp up in coal power generation
in a temporary renaissance which would defer the uptake of gas. If the intersection of geopolitics and resulting regional
disruptions to markets further slows demand growth of oil this could result in gas becoming a preferred fuel and it
could carry a strategic premium that stimulates investment. In terms of a peak global population, the urbanisation in
developing countries trend may force a fast switch from coal to gas in the next two decades, as was historically the
case in some parts of Europe and North America as higher levels of particulate emissions and other pollutants lowered
life expectancy in cities and reduced standards of living generally. Furthermore, in these mega-cities comprising tens
of millions, there may be demand for different type of mini-LNG applications which encourage innovation servicing
not just traditional LNG importers, but a wider number of Indo-Pacific countries that can unlock stranded or currently
un-economic resources.
Conclusions
Eisenhower famously said, “plans are useless, but planning is indispensable”. Although Eisenhower was referring to
preparing for battle, we contend that revisiting the origins of scenario methods that were once used with great
success by the oil and gas industry represents a positive use of a planning tool. Through a robust use of scenarios,
applying a longer-time perspective and considering an optimistic (but realistic) future, we concluded that analysts
can gain new insights into the direction of the LNG industry. Like any consideration of future events, this process
will be imprecise. A more structured approach to establishing scenarios and macro-trends will assist in highlighting
future pathways for the industry. One shortcoming of this approach is that it relies on a qualitative approach which is
as much as an art than science. However, a planning process that includes a robust interaction with economists,
industry specialists and technologists, can provide a window into future possibilities which enriches both the work
of strategic analysts as well as economists.